My Family Fun Run 2009 Experience

I was really excited to run 10K today since the last time I did a 10K race is during the Milo Marathon last July 5. I got ready around 2:30PM since I am meeting Patrick by 3:00 and we will be walking to the venue. Unfortunately, Patrick over slept and was a little late from our scheduled time. It was OK though since we still got to the venue at 4:00 which was the check-in time.

The event started with a program where everyone on stage spoke. It was long and boring. I didn't feel the need of some of them talking anymore. It just so happen that this race is a government event and these people should be doing some speech. The thing different from this race is that, there is a group of oldies who did some aerobics prior to the race. At first, I felt it was "baduy" but it was a hit with the crowd and I was also amazed. Unfortunately, I did not able to finish the act since they already announced that the 10K participants should check-in already at the starting point. I did just that with Patrick even though he was suppose to run the 3K only.

When the gun was shot, everybody immediately ran and I was just standing. I was configuring my iPod to time my race. Upon doing so, I ran and was feeling really good because I was pacing with the firefly joggers and they are quite fast. Upon entering 1.25K, I felt something weird. I stomach started to cramp. Yes, I didn't know too that there is such thing in running as stomach cramps. I needed to walk and let the pain subside a little. I was debating in my head the pros and cons of stopping at 2.5k. I then gave myself sometime to recover while walking (ala Park mode) and it did subside at about 3K. I continued running and was approaching 4K when it started to drizzle. Afraid of being electrocuted or permanently damaging my iPod, I started walking again and placed it inside a plastic bag (which I brought). Then I felt bad. I was not yet halfway through the race and I already did some major walking. I thought to myself, my time will definitely be longer than my Milo's. I started running and was pacing with a woman. I ensured that I will not be left behind by her. I was actually successful until my 6.25K. She glided faster and I was left behind. I then started pacing on my own again. I then became comfortable since I decided that this will be just a lesson race for me and I will try to be better at the Kenny's. I ran, walk, run to the finish line expecting to have a time of around 1:40. But to my surprise, when I checked the clock after I passed through the finish line and got my mandatory certificate, that the time in the clock is 1 hr 19 mins. I was shocked as hell as I did a lot of walking. I said to Patrick, "I really thought I wouldn't surpass my Milo record. But I did". I don't know what my official time was since I saw the clock several seconds or probably a minute upon finishing. I saw someone writing my number upon my finish so I hope they listed it down and made available for everybody's benefit.

I then chatted with Patrick after in Brothers Burger and asked how did he do. Apparently, he ran 5K. Which is really weird since the only categories were 3K and 10K. He said he did not followed the rules and didn't even cross the finish line. I didn't know why he did not do it. It is the best part of the race for me. Crossing the finish line.

Congratulations were still in order since this is the first time that Patrick ran a 5K and I gave him that. He then told me that he actually thought he ran 10K but appareantly, you need to run the whole distance again to do the 10K. He was still happy.

The funny story here was when he finished and I was nowhere to be seen, he suspected of a weird scenario. There were ambulance on standy by (of course, for very obvious reasons) and he thought that I was in an ambulance. It was as funny as hell.

All-in-all, there are a lot of good and bad things that happened during this race. First, I set another PR for me and second, I experienced stomach cramps.

I will definitely train harder for the Kenny Urbanite. I want a better record with the chip system.

Up Next: Review of the Family Fun Run Event